The Space Between Not Yet And No Longer
by Echanted Feyre
Summary: The Space between not yet and no longer can be big, but it can also be very small, what if you wait to long and it is not possible anymore?


Not yet, that were the only words going through his mind while watching him. It was not yet time.

Tilting his head, he observed the lovely dimples in the cheeks of his lover when he smiled. The way his eyes lighted up when he invented something new. He was perfect.

Unfortunately, not everything was as rosy as it seemed. The long waits in the night, hoping that everything went right with the missions. Not knowing if he would his lover again the next day. His lover thought that he didn't know about him. But of course, he knew about him, how could he not? All the signs were there. If only his lover would trust him enough to actually tell him, but he will wait.

Putting the box back in his closet, he decided to go to his love, maybe he was already back. If not, then he would just go back.

Days passed, but it was not yet time, he couldn't find the perfect time! How difficult was it to just walk around for a little bit and find a nice spot next to a river or a fountain? Ugh, he couldn't wait much longer. Thank the gods that they were going on a school trip. Curse the gods for not placing him beside his love. Instead, he sat in the front by the teachers. Why do you ask? They were afraid that he would do something stupid. As if it was his fault that monsters kept attacking him!

The bus ride was going alright. He learned a lot of things about the teachers, not all of them were wanted. Everything was fine until that flying donut appeared into the sky. From that moment on, everything went downhill. He saw his love jumping out of the bus and changing in his suite. Oh no…

The trip didn't continue, instead, the bus drove back to the school where they all got sent home.

The news was on. His mother was watching it with shocked eyes. Paul sat next to her; he didn't notice that his coffee had spilt all over his papers.

Walking around the couch only to see his love on the news, being attacked by aliens and taken away on the flying donut that turned out to be a spaceship from the aliens. The last thing that they saw from his love was Iron Man going after him. No other news was coming through.

Paul got out of his stupor when the news stopped broadcasting. He cursed when he saw his spilt coffee, apparently, those papers were important.

He didn't care, those papers were not as important as his love, who just disappeared without a trace. Who just DISAPPEARED! Did no one take knowledge of that?

Next to him, his mother was moving around, cleaning things up. She did that when she was nervous, but he, he couldn't move. He stayed in front of the tv in the hope that new news would come. News that would be better. Preferable about his love.

He didn't notice the futile attempts from his mother and Paul to get him out of his stupor. Hours passed, but his eyes stayed glued to the screen of the tv. Reading every news item that he could. It was only when he heard glass shattering that he looked up.

He saw his mother looking horrified at the place where the glass had shattered, not understanding he stood up to walk to his mother, but his mother became grey and started falling apart.

"Mother?" He looked aghast. What was happening?

The sounds of the news were deafening, he turned around only to see people disappear everywhere. No place was spared, no country, no city, no village. Everywhere on the planet people turned grey and became less than dust.

Horrified, he understood what was happening, someone attacked earth and succeeded. Did that mean that his lover… was dead? No that couldn't be. No, he couldn't be dead, not his love, not his boyfriend for almost three years. The floor was swaying underneath him. Black spots entered his vision before everything became black.

One week, one week had passed before they had found Tony Stark. He was floating in a spaceship in space together with a blue woman. No one else was with them. This couldn't be happening.

He ran out of his apartment and onto the streets, not once did he stop running. His destination? Avengers Headquarters.

He arrived faster than he would have thought. Slamming his hand against the door until he would be noticed. Fortunately, it didn't take long.

"Who are you?" A voice sounded through a loudspeaker.

"Where is Mister Stark? I need him." He just answered.

"Who are you?" The voice repeated.

He just ran his fingers through his hair with a sharp laugh.

"Let him through."

"Stark? What do you think that you are...?"

That was the last thing that he heard before the door opened. He didn't blink his eyes before entering. The way to the room where they all were was easy to find.

Inside the room, he was met with different looks. Most were disapproving and mistrusting, but not the one from mister Stark. His face was pained as if he was going to bring some sort of awful news.

Walking until he stood in front of mister Stark, he finally asked the question that had kept him busy for a week. "Where is he, mister Stark? Where is Peter?"

Mister Stark closed his eyes and sighed, before looking him straight in the eyes.

"I am sorry Percy, I couldn't protect him, he disappeared."

And with those words, Percy's world crumbled. Nothing mattered anymore. He was too late. He couldn't, oh gods. He had waited so long, but now he couldn't. No longer had he the chance. No longer had he a reason to live a normal life, no longer was his Peter by his side.

While Percy collapsed, an engagement ring lay in the back of a closet, forgotten and gathering dust.


End file.
